Runaway goats captured in Carroll County

The runaway goats had a brief taste of freedom, but now they’re up for adoption.

They may look all cuddly and cute, but the Spanish goat and the pygmy goat in the neighboring stable have been elusive fugitives in Carroll County.

"It didn't want to be caught so he just kept running through the properties down in Sykesville and kept eluding our officers and the state police and the sheriff's department," said Animal Control Chief Mark Miller.

Over the years, the Humane Society has corralled its share of strange animals ranging from llamas and emus to a jaguar and a kangaroo, but no one can recall picking up two goats in the same week.

They do have a pretty good guess as to why the goats may have escaped.

"Maybe because they were looking for a mate and it's the spring time, after all, that's what things do in the spring," said Nicky Ratliff of the Humane Society of Carroll County.

Experts on the subject suggest a single male goat may be able to breed with up to 50 females each year.

Finding someone willing to adopt the goats is the next challenge since they're frisky, aggressive and ready to butt, climb and jump at anything in sight.

"These goats... they don't want to stay confined and they can go over anything six feet and higher so it's going to be kind of a challenge to find somebody,” said Ratliff. “That being said, if we get them and put them in a group of goats, they may not have a desire to leave. We'll have to see."

We're told the owners rarely show up to claim a runaway goat because there's no telling what kind of damage they've done while they're on the loose, and they don't cost a whole lot to begin with.

Copyright 2014 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.